That said, though, it’s the only thing that’s worked for me in getting rid of the twenty pounds I gained after returning to school. When you live in a world where your food is engineered to lie to you about whether or not your body is sated and is often depicted as having little-to-nothing to do with actual physical health, sometimes you just need that external meter telling you that you’re eating too much–or too little. Without it, I thought I was eating a reasonable amount. I started counting and discovered that not only was I eating way more calories than I thought, but my fat and sodium consumptions were through the roof and I was way too low on some vital nutrients. You have to be aware of a problem to fix it.

And there are some good sites and programs out there that really do make it much easier than it was in the 80′s and 90′s. There are options now beyond a little notebook, a calculator, and a Calorie Counter paperback.

I’m lost. Help!

This is one of the most powerful weight loss phrases I think I’ve ever heard. I’m printing that out and keeping it taped to my wallet (since I go there to pay for food).